Spreadsheet for Data Analysis File

                

               Spreadsheets - What they are and how they work?

A spreadsheet is a computer program that turns your computer screen into a smart

piece of paper. It removes much of the grunt work associated with repetitive

calculations and lets you easily see the results of your work. We have chosen to

use spreadsheets in the physics labs, because they reduce the amount of time

needed to look at and understand the data taken in the labs. Traditionally

accountants have used spreadsheets to do bookkeeping and budgets, but they

make outstanding tools for scientists as well. With a spreadsheet, we can enter

raw data, manipulate it and plot it all with a few simple commands. They are

especially useful because of their built in ability to plot data.

 

              The Basics:

A spreadsheet consists of a collection of cells, like a big table. The cells are labeled

by their column and row location. For example A4 is in the first column, the fourth

cell down. A cell can contain a label (text), a number, or a formula. If you put text

in a cell, it will display the text.

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